


Natural Enemies

by Thequantumvariable



Series: FMA Fusions [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, 境界の彼方 | Kyoukai no Kanata | Beyond the Boundary
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Enemies to Friends, Everyone is European, Gen, Half-Youmu Roy Mustang, Heavy Angst, Spirit Warrior Riza Hawkeye, Supernatural Elements, Takes place in London, Teenagers, Weapons made of blood, cursed blood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-01-16 07:36:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18516889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thequantumvariable/pseuds/Thequantumvariable
Summary: FMA meets Beyond the Boundary.Riza Hawkeye is the last of the Cursed Blood.  In order to not be executed simply for existing she is hired to kill an unusually powerful youmu. The problem is her target happens to be Roy Mustang. The bigger problem?  He's half-human and practically immortal. No known weapon or method has been successful in killing him yet.  Roy happens to loath the fact that he's been  hunted like a monster his entire life. But really he's just afraid everyone is right. Can these two get past prejudice and tempers when the Spirit World finally gets involved with plans for them both?





	1. Misunderstandings

**Author's Note:**

> Cast:  
> Akihito Kanbara=Roy Mustang  
> Mirai Kuriyama=Riza Hawkeye  
> Hiroomi Nase=Alex Louise Armstrong  
> Mitsuki Nase= Catherine Elle Armstrong  
> Izumi Nase= Olivier Mira Armstrong  
> Ayaka=Edward Elric  
> Ai=Alphonse Elric  
> Ninomiya= Izumi Curtis  
> Miroku Fujima=Wrath/King Bradley  
> Plot/Premise:  
> Basically very similar to KNK. Takes place in London due to the very European names. KNK Spirit World.  
> Riza hasn't killed anyone, instead she is being actively hunted.   
> Roy still did nearly kill Alex.   
> Personalities are based on FMA characters while age and station are from KNK.

Riza Hawkeye stood on the rooftop of the Secondary School she had just been transferred to. Despite the city of London around her being beautiful she had eyes only for the students below her. At age fifteen she had a job to do. This was no place for leisure, not until she had finished her task.

 

The gentle breeze blew her bangs and knee high khaki skirt as she watched from her perch. The afternoon sun was warm on her cheeks and she narrowed her eyes from the glare. No one seemed to care to notice her as she continued to seek out her target.

 

Somewhere among the milling crowds heading home was a black haired boy she would have to confront. He wasn't normal and his very existence was a threat to humanity. She had been brought in with the promise of a permanent home if she could take care of a certain problem.

 

It seemed her expertise and power were highly useful in a case like this. That was the conclusion her employer had come to.

 

Expertly, her brown eyes roved over her classmates until she caught sight of something unusual. One of the students walking by had a strange aura about him. Obviously it was invisible to everyone except her. It was a hint of greenish light tinting his head and shoulders. 

 

The aura was a sure sign of a youmu. An invisible supernatural creature that stalked humans and harmed them. It was up to her to put an end to such creatures. This was her family's duty, to destroy youmu and protect humans.

 

Riza looked at the figure closely. Sure enough it was a boy with ebony hair. He was walking alone as though purposely staying away from people. He glanced up feeling eyes on him and she saw his jet black irises. These eyes looked at her intently. 

 

She watched as horror dawned in those inky pools. He foolishly mistook her vantage point as an attempted suicide. Without even thinking he raced into the building she stood atop. 

 

Riza nodded, this would be far easier. He would appear from the stairwell door and then she would ambush him. Really it wasn't anything but a job to her. She was a Spirit World Warrior, her birthright was to destroy youmu and protect people. 

 

There was the sound of pounding feet behind her. She nodded closing her eyes to steady her nerves. This case was different, never had she been asked to kill a half-breed. Up until two weeks ago the term had been foreign to her. 

 

What kind of human went propagating with youmu? It was a disgusting idea to say the least. Worse still was the rumor that this half-youmu could not be killed. By any means attempted. 

 

Surely no such thing as an immortal existed. Riza would prove that silly nonsense was just that. Preparing to call upon her blood she raised her right hand to her chest and slowly peeled back the bandage embroidered with the enchantment that prevented her from bleeding out from the mark of her bloodline. It was a small gash on her inner wrist. It had appeared as a child and never healed. The bandage kept her frighteningly powerful blood at bay. 

 

The door behind her flew open. As expected an unfamiliar deep voice called out to her. "It's not worth dying like that," He said loudly, pleadingly. "A pretty girl like you should not contemplate such grave decisions! No one should want to kill themselves!" 

 

Riza had listened to his ridiculous plea only to hide the fact that her blood had formed into the shape of a revolver. It gleamed a sickening crimson in the sunlight.   
"What reckless declarations," She commented. Then without a word she lept over the railing she had been leaning against. She summersaulted gracefully and landed facing him. They were several yards apart and they looked into each other's eyes.

 

The lowering sun lit his startled face. He stared at her in surprise a flash of recognition flitting through his features too late.

 

Riza raised her blood gun and pulled the trigger. A bullet shaped portion of her blood left the gun and pierced through his heart with lightning speed. Once inside his flesh the bullet disolved and her acidic blood spread through him. She watched expecting his death to come quick and swift. 

 

Roy Mustang had never been so wrong in his life. He didn't even see her weapon until it was too late. The blood bullet wrent his flesh painfully. He stumbled back swallowing a curse as he tried to ignore the pain. Blood wet his skin and soaked into his clothes. He coughed up a little grimacing at the mineral taste of it in his mouth.  
So she was a Warrior. How was it that he always seemed to run into his natural enemies in the most random of places? 

 

Like a school rooftop. Had she been luring him? It sure seemed like it. The feeling of being ambushed was familiar though. How many times had he been attacked in the sixteen years of his short miserable life? Too blasted many. 

 

Another bullet struck him right where the first had and he fell to his knees as fresh pain bloomed in his chest. His heart faltered breifly. Roy forced himself to look at her, he would not give her the satisfaction of seeing fear in his eyes. Not that he was afraid of some foolish girl, but he was stubbornly determined to show no fear to any enemy.

 

As he looked up at her she closed the gap and brought the muzzle of that horrifying gun against his skull. It pressed into his scalp and was surprisingly warm. It felt awkward and unpleasant. 

 

Every instinct blared at him to run like hell. This was danger, but if she pushed him too far he wasn't worried. Those bastards that ruled London would take care of it. He had merely tried to help someone and she had turned around and attacked him rather violently. That certainly wasn't his fault. 

 

Her brown eyes bore down on him and he looked up a glare forming in his own. "Forgive me, but it's just business." She pulled the trigger and the silent gun released a third capsule of blood right into his head.

 

He should have died. Roy almost wished he had. It would at least be the end of his suffering. 

 

His skull shattered open and he could feel the tearing sensation as flesh split and his brain was blasted to bits. He fell forward the searing heat almost burning his consciousness away. 

 

But as soon as the pain was there it began to ebbe.

 

Like the wound to his heart he felt his body repair itself instantly. Flesh and bone knitted together stinging as the cells fused back into place as if there were no injuries. In a matter of seconds his skull was healed. He could feel the blood that had run down his brow into his eyes. 

 

Hands balled into fists as he found the strength to speak. "Could you tell me what kind of business that was?" He asked in irritation as he forced himself up.   
The girl turned from where she stood a few steps away clearly already leaving the scene of her crime. The odd weapon was still in her hand and she brandished it ready to fire as many bullets as were necessary. He watched her shocked expression spread into her very pose. 

 

Her brown eyes fell on him in utter surprise. He glared at her enraged at her cold attack. _Blasted Warrior _. He really hated the fruitless attempts on his life.  
"What are you?" She asked him in a curious melodic voice. Despite how much he hated her right now her voice was pleasant to his ears. __

__

__"I should ask you that," Roy growled. What right did she have to declare war on him so suddenly? It was obvious she was new here in town. Apparently the Armstrong family had not warned her about starting fights with him._ _

__

__She raised her gun to fire again. Her intentions to end him clear and they made his mixed blood boil. Couldn't the Society just let him live his days in peace? How he longed to live without their attacks and ceaseless hopes to put an end to him._ _

__

__It wasn't like he had purposely harmed anyone, nor did he harbor any ill will for humans in general. Being a smart young man he had never once even contemplated causing trouble._ _

__

___This is what I get for trying to help people. ____ _

____ _ _

____"Stop!" He snarled. "It's not going to work." He slowly stood up wiping blood from his face. His school uniform was now ruined. The indigo blazer was stained with his own blood and there was a frayed hole from her bullets in the breast._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I cannot let you go." Her voice was focused and ready to begin a real battle._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Roy sighed heavily. "And I cannot die," He said, his voice a mixture of pride and self-loathing._ _ _ _


	2. The Pain of Blood

Roy sat in the small room alotted to the history club working on a scale model of a WWII fighter plane. It was part of a large scale diorama of the German air raids he was working on for the club showcase in a couple months. 

 

Despite the fact that his membership in the club was a cover, so that the Armstrong family could keep their eyes on him, he took the work seriously. In the past month he had completed a dozen scale models of fighter planes and was halfway done with a handmade model of Paternoster Row. He'd compiled a lot of images on the printing presses and publishers that had been destroyed during one of the air raids.

 

As he carefully glued the plastic pieces together the door opened and Catherine Armstrong entered the room. 

 

The girl was wearing her blue and khaki school uniform in a mildly careless fashion without her tie and no stockings. Her black boots were polished clean and she held a derisive smile on her pink lips. Her blue eyes shone with distaste as they fell on him.

 

"You still have yet to finish that project?" She asked as if she cared. The only reason she was in this ridiculous club was because she was babysitting the crime against nature who gave her a withering look. 

 

"It will not get marks if we do not complete it properly. I have had to do a lot of research just to get the scenery correct. If I were not working alone maybe it would be done by now." He replied in agitation. _Always looking down on me _. Roy forced himself to keep a steady gentle hold on his model.__

__

__Catherine sat down and picked up a history book. She flipped through it idly. Her eyes focused on the photos of air raid aftermath but they flicked up to watch him every few minutes._ _

__

__"Why not just put a camera in here and watch me from wherever you want?" Roy snarked. He was so blasted tired of these Spirit Warriors and their watchful eyes._ _

__

__Catherine grinned, "Maybe we already do." She replied suggestively._ _

__

__"Then why are you bothering me?" He asked not looking away from the cockpit sheild he was gluing to the body of a German bomber._ _

__

__"Because I can." She replied smoothly. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Remember Roy, you made a deal in exchange to keep your 'freedom'." She emphasised his name as if it were wrong he possessed one._ _

__

__That was it. Roy put down the bottle of glue and carefully stowed his project in a plastic bin and stood. He unrolled his white sleeves and pulled his uniform jacket off of his chair. He shrugged into it silently and then grabbed his leather book bag._ _

__

__"Leaving early?" Catherine asked._ _

__

__"I'm going home." He growled not looking at her._ _

__

__"Actually, you have to stay for a while." The girl replied authoritatively. "Mrs. Curtis wants to check on our progress for the clubs showcase."_ _

__

__"You can show it to her alone." Roy replied evenly._ _

__

__"Actually I am here on more important business." An aging female voice interrupted as a middle aged woman with dark hair in dreadlocks stepped in. She wore a white short sleeved blouse and black slacks._ _

__

__Roy and Catherine both turned to look at her. "Sit down Roy." She ordered._ _

__

__The boy did as he was told biting back a sigh._ _

__

__"I heard what happened the other day." Izumi Curtis began quietly. "That new student has declared war against you?" She asked. Roy nodded silently. What else would she be doing after three whole days of failed attempts to kill him?_ _

__

__"For the good of the school I advise you to stay away from her." The teacher said gently. "I am going to see if I can get her to bugger off of you, but I make no promises."_ _

__

__"Easy for someone whose not being stalked all the time." Roy returned._ _

__

__"I have informed Olivier, she said she would handle it." Izumi replied. Roy gritted his teeth. As if Olivier would really care that some random Warrior was attacking him on school grounds. So long as the school remained standing she didn't care about his problems._ _

__

__"Now keep your guard up. I know you are capable of avoiding confrontations, excercise that skill." She commanded. Roy just stared at her._ _

__

__The teacher stood and made for the door. Her eyes glanced to the half finished model of a famous German air raid. "And keep up the good work." She added her voice softening._ _

__

__With that she left. Catherine turned to Roy. "Now you can leave." She said as if he needed her permission._ _

__

__"Bugger off Catherine." Roy growled storming for the door. "And we will see if I finish that blasted model!"_ _

__

__He slammed the door shut as he left._ _

__

___For once in my miserable life can they leave me alone? _He asked himself.__ _ _

____ _ _

____At the edge of school he was confronted by that strange girl. She appeared in front of him her gleaming red gun in her hand and a grim determined look on her face.  
"I do not believe this." Roy sighed. "Why do you refuse to get it through your thick head that you cannot kill me?" _ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I have to try." Riza replied coldly. "I do not understand it. Most humans who are possessed by a youmu are as mortal as they were before."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I am not possessed!" Roy snapped. "Has no one told you that I am half human and half youmu. Neither and both at the same time." He said darkly._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"There must be a way to kill you then." She murmured._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Roy felt like ripping his hair out, not that such an action would do much more than cause momentary pain._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Who are you?" He demanded._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"The last of my bloodline." She replied before raising her gun. "This is the power of the cursed bloodline, my family was all killed in a dispute over power."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"How sad." Roy murmured._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"It is the way our world works." Riza replied indifferently. Her brown eyes were brimming with tragedy._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"It doesn't have to be." Roy replied. "You do not have to accept things as they are. If you want you could change them yourself." He really hated how no matter what, people loved to complain about the way the world was but they never ever tried to change it._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Are you trying to convince me I do not have to fight you?" She asked knowingly. Her future depended on this job. His lofty words meant nothing to her. So what if she didn't try to change things? It wasn't like she could anyways._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I take it you think there is no other way around it." Roy remarked a twinge of pity in his voice._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I am here of my own choice." Riza said in slight annoyance. "And right now you are standing in my way."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____The two stared each other down. This was the moment where they waited to see who would move first._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"You realize that shooting me is little more than target practice? Your bullets will fail to kill me."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Then why does it bother you so much?" Riza asked monotonely. "If it's futile why do you make such a big deal about it?"_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Roy bristled. His eyes narrowed and he lost his grip on his book bag. The leather satchel thudded to the ground by his feet. He made fists in his hands as he started to step forward. _How dare you! _____ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______She waved her gun and he stayed put. "You make me sick!" Roy shouted. "Have you any idea the indignation and the humiliation of what you are suggesting? You Spirit Warriors are all the same. You come after me like I am the worst thing that ever eixisted, and the only reasoning is because it is your duty. No one ever stops and asks why they are attacking me. No Warrior ever pauses to think that maybe it is not my fault. Instead you all just go about your duties taking it upon yourselves to rid the world of me. No one ever wonders if I have family or even care, they just shoot me in the bloody head without warning." He glared at her._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy spun on his heels grabbing his bag and storming away quickly. He waited to feel her shoot him in the back or for her to demand he come back. Instead she just stood there frozen in shock. Somehow he had managed to escape unscathed, and without running like a coward._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Riza Hawkeye stood her head bowed. "I apologize." The teen said in a quiet voice. "It seems that it is far more resilient than I expected."_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"I believe you now know that this is a job that requires more than blindly shooting. If you fail to end it I will have to rescind my offer. You are here for your power and nothing else. Use it against that abominantion. I want it dead." A strong woman's voice demanded. She had the same blond hair and blue eyes as Catherine._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Olivier Armstrong, head of her family and Spirit Warrior in charge of all supernatural happenings in London looked down at the girl. "I have faith that you are our only hope. Please return to your task, but this time show some tact."_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Riza met her eyes and nodded. "I will find a way to succeed." She promised._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"I know. And please stop attacking it at the school. If you trigger a retaliation from it there the consequences will be grave." Her words held warning. Just what kind of destruction was this thing capable of?_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Riza nodded again before she was dismissed. She hurried back out of the room her mind racing. Why had she let it walk away from her? Because those words had struck a nerve. Yes the Spirit World was probably relentless in it's attempt to dispose of something as impossible as a halfbreed. But from the desperate tone of Olivier's cold voice she knew that the threat it posed far outweighed any inhumane treatment recieved._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______She told herself it was just a job. There was nothing more to it than that. Do not let those words resonate with your own emotions. It is dangerous. Even as she scolded herself for taking the words he had spoken seriously they replayed in her mind. There was an alarming amount of pain and frustration lacing those convicting words._ _ _ _ _ _


	3. Turning the Tide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you may notice I change some things from here on out. Partly to keep everyone in character and partly to prevent from copying the story outright. I want it to feel like both stories but also something new at the same time.

The next day Roy saw Riza in the cafeteria. She looked at him curiously. Her brown eyes seemed to look him over. Was she looking for a physical sign of his youmu heritage? She wouldn't find it unless he lost his focus. No one understood the precipice he stood on. 

 

So long as he maintained control over his anger or avoided extremely fatal occurences he would remain lucid and reasonable. If for any reason he allowed his temper to spike beyond simple anger or outrage he would slip into a frightening state. Without reason he was nothing but a monster. 

 

Though technically he could survive any injury it didn't mean he wasn't capable of suffering wounds that were critical. In a case like this he lost all control and the violent youmu nature he fought to keep buried would surface without warning.

 

This he loathed more than anything else, the fear of his own power kept him gripped sometimes. No one knew that he would sometimes wake from a nightmare in the darkness feeling the claws and fangs that hid just under the surface. 

 

He met her eyes and wondered if maybe his words the previous day had reached her. She surely had a strange look on her face. Was she trying to apologize or searching for a weakness? 

 

As he turned his body towards her someone's elbow rammed into his side. He frowned and turned to see Catherine beside him a warning in her blue eyes. "Stay away from her," She hissed quietly. 

 

Roy looked back at Riza, he didn't even know her name. Feeling stubborn and petulant he made his decision. With a shrug he ignored Catherine and approached the blood manipulating Warrior. 

 

The youngest Armstrong stood silently fuming. She sighed and turned for a table full of people waiting for her. She smiled at them widely. 

 

"Is that the other member of the history club?" One of the girls asked as she set her tray down. 

 

"Yeah you and that chap seem to spend a lot of time together," A boy added.

 

Catherine shrugged. "We just have club together," She replied.

 

"He does seem to have taken an interest in the new girl though. You think he fancies her?" 

 

Catherine laughed aloud. "That would be the most illfated match I could imagine." 

 

"Jealous are we?"

 

"Certainly not, I like big strong men," Catherine replied in a calm voice. No she was far from jealous, she was royally pissed with that infuriating halfbreed. What right did he have to disobey her? If he was that much of a masochist she would gladly use him for target practice. 

 

Roy stood awkwardly looking at the blond girl who had proclaimed herself his enemy. She looked up at him raising an eyebrow. _What does it want now? ___

__She asked herself as she set her sandwich down._ _

__

__"I wanted to thank you for not shooting me in the back," Roy explained rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Here in the open with other students around she would make no move, but it still didn't mean he was safe._ _

__

__"I make it a habit not to shoot my enemies from behind," She admitted. She would not confess that his words had resonated with her own heart. That would be no good. She was here to kill him. That was all there was to it._ _

__

__"Still, you let me go," Roy said. "Most people would have forgone their convictions in that situation."_ _

__

__Riza shrugged. She really did not feel comfortable talking to him like this. She had merely been caught off guard by his pained words. He was making her out to be some moral upright hero. "I guess yesterday was not our day to battle." She replied curtly. He would not escape her the next time. "That was the only time," She added._ _

__

__Roy nodded feeling that there was nothing more to say to her. She was still determined to waste her energy and time trying to do the impossible. "Nothing ever changes," He murmured walking away._ _

__

__Riza watched him go somehow regretting her cold words. What was wrong with her? Those words were not that important._ _

__Roy found himself working long into the afternoon on his model. This was his sanctuary, his own little world. Here, he was in charge, he was free, and most of all he could relax. He carefully put the walls of a print shop together with the rather noxious glue._ _

__

__The smell never really bothered him. Catherine had taken two steps into the room and walked right back out cursing him loudly. At least he was alone. The project was coming along nicely._ _

__

___I just hope the mechanism to replicate bombs exploding works properly for the showcase. _He continued putting it together, lost to the world outside and his own dilemma. This was a perfect distraction. If anyone knew he had a collection of models at the flat he lived in they would laugh at him for being eccentric. As if he needed another reason for people to despise him.__ _ _

____ _ _

____He never heard the door open, paid no heed to the nearly silent footsteps approach, and only realized he was not alone when it was far too late.  
Roy blinked when he felt something warm and solid against his back. He slowly lifted his hands from the bits and pieces he had been gluing down. He brought them level to his head sighing heavily. He would lose his temper if that blasted girl's attack damaged his model. His heart picked up as he prepared for a lot of pain._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"You really should show some backbone," A familiar masculine voice chortled. Roy spun around to see Alex Armstrong hovering above him a small torch in one hand. Roy snorted and turned back to the model._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"What do you want Alex?" He asked trying to sound bored and uninterested. He didn't want Alex to see him unnerved. It was a dirty trick to sneak up behind him and press something that felt similar to that freaky blood gun against his back._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Alex pulled up a seat and the big stout teen grinned. "I heard that the new transfer has been giving you hell."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"You could say that," Roy conceded. He was still furious for having been startled like that._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I hear she comes from a bloodline that was purged. Apparently her own blood is a weapon, other Spirit Warrior lines were too afraid to accept them. She is the last of her kind," Alex informed in a thoughtful voice._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Is that supposed to move me?" Roy snapped. He did not care what her poor me story was. She obviously had no compassion for anyone else so why should he show her any?_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I just found it interesting," Alex replied._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I care not what her past is. I just want her to leave me alone," Roy growled. He really couldn't return to his Aunt's home with another destroyed uniform._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____The woman would surely take the kitchen knives to him._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I wonder who hired her," Alex mused._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Maybe Olivier hired her."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"She would never," Alex defended._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Oh come on Alex. The only reason she lets me live my life with minimal interferance is because she can not kill me. Were I not immortal she would have ended me a long time ago. I have yet to be caged like an animal because I promised to behave." He looked at the other teen seriously. Olivier had him in a nice tight deadlock. One wrong move and his aunt would be the one to pay._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Alex shook his head unwilling to believe his sister would hire an outside source and not tell her siblings._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Whoever her employer is will surely give up after a while." He slapped Roy on the shoulder before leaving the room._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____The half-youmu stared at the door as it shut. "Did he just?" He shook his head. I do not have friends or allies. He told himself before setting aside his project to go home._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____As he left the club room he caught sight of a black shoe shifting behind a corner._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Come on out." Roy demanded feeling like he might just purposely lose his temper completely to scare her. Part of him wanted to see her eyes widen with fear the other part dreaded revealing his hideous secret._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Riza stepped out her hands empty. The bandage was in place on her right wrist and her face a mask of indifferent calm._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I think this is getting old. How many times do I have to tell you I am immortal?"_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Impossible. You may have the ability to regenerate, but at some point your body will be unable to restore itself," Riza countered._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Roy pressed a hand to his head exasperated by her stubborness. "Can I ask one question?"_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Fine."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Your name?" He wanted to know it._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Riza Hawkeye," She provided a tinge of relief in her eyes. What secret did she keep that made her afraid of questions?_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I have to ask you not to attack me here at the school." Roy knew Olivier would take her anger out on him if the school suffered property damage._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Alright, if you know a secluded place I will follow you," Riza said remaining in a neutral pose._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Roy let out a breath. This was really getting on his nerves. "No."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"This is not up for discussion," She replied calmly._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Roy glanced at the open window to his right and a crazy plan formed in his mind. Without a word he threw himself at the window He took the screen with him, but he managed to get out of the building._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____He heard Riza yell after him and watched as she came to the window to see him fall from the second story window towards the ground below.  
Roy steeled himself for the impact. He prepared to feel his spine and legs break with the force. With a sickening snap in his lower back he landed on his feet on the ground. For a moment he remained crouched unable to move. _ _ _ _

____ _ _

____When his body was restored he took off right as Riza fired her gun. Blood whizzed by his head and splattered on the ground in front of him. I have to get away from her. _Where can I go? I know! _____ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______There was an ancient abandoned house nearby that proved a safety hazard for mortals. Roy knew of the house from listening to the younger kids who passed it talk about how dangerous it was._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy planned to use it to his advantage. Get her stuck somewhere dangerous and be the only one there to help her. If she owed him her life he would have enough power to at least curb her attacking him._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Looking back he saw she was still hot on heels. Luckily she had put the gun away since they were running on the streets. He took a turn and straight into the abandoned house everyone claimed was haunted._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy waited for her to enter after him. She carefully put up some human repellant just inside the door. He smirked at her thoughtfullness. Because her putting up human repellant would prevent her from calling in any other kind of help. It would either be she accepted his help or she would remain stuck where he wanted her to be. He made a show of running up the stairs and darting down the left hall._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______He heard following after eager to catch him up. "Stop running you coward!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy crossed delicately over a very rotten part of the floor to stand in a big room full of mot eaten moldy furniture and a hole in the ceiling that let in the light. He turned and gave her an imperious smile. "Kill me if you can," He challenged._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Riza nodded, her gun was out but she didn't try to shoot him from this distance. Instead she slowly approached. Her gun shifted into a sword and she stepped onto one creaking floorboard. Roy stepped forward too._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______She tested her weight, found that part solid and took a few more steps. Neither of the teens said anything as they steeled for battle. Roy grinned once she was where he wanted her to be and then stomped hard. without warning the floor gave way beneath them._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy managed to jump back having expected the floor to crash down. Riza however only managed to prevent herself from getting seriously injured. But as expected the floor had caved and she was now in a room with no exits. The only one was sealed from the outside and the room above was too far for her to jump._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Even with her acrobatic skill the vaulted ceiling was a good fifteen feet up. She wouldn't be able to grasp the edge._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"You alright down there?" Roy asked from above. Riza looked up at the smirking boy. His greenish aura gave him a wicked sort of glow._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"Just fine," She replied trying to find a way out. Roy skirted the crumbling edges back to the side of the room that would let him get out while she pried and kicked at the bloackage. Once or twice he almost slipped clinging to the exposed boards in the walls for support._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy perched on the egde and watched until she looked up at him. "You did this on purpose!" Her accusation was met with an even more irritating smile.  
"Never figured I was one for tactics did you?" The half-youmu looked around. "You have two options. You could either accept my help getting out of that deathtrap or you could wait for someone to hear your screams." He purposely ignored reminding her of the human repellant. _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"I would rather wait for help from someone else than accept yours." Riza snarled._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"Might you be forgetting something?" He asked haughtily. Riza only frowned in confusion at his antics. "Human repellant?" His eyes flashed mischeivously._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Riza's eyes widened in realization. She had never suspected that her own measures to protect normal humans would cause her trouble. It was all his fault. Her target was far smarter than she had anticipated and instead of her cornering him he had cornered her quite nicely._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"Feeling stupid?" Roy asked just to rub it in._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"You are despicable," Riza returned angrily._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy's eyes flashed at her insult but he took a step away from the hole. "Human repellant dies after what, six hours?" He asked as he vanished from her sight. He paused just out of her visual range and waited to see what she would do. Her stubbornness could cause her to refuse his help. Or her need for survival could kick in and cause her to ask for help._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______After a few minutes she made up her mind. "You can't just leave me here!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______He stepped back into view. "And why not?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"Because if you leave me here you are no better than a full youmu," She glared at him. He had been expecting her to use his own fears against him._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"Yes, but is it really so bad when the person I'm leaving has been attacking me nonstop? I don't think you understand. Either you promise to stop coming at me like a bad villain in a cheap movie and I help you out or I leave you here." Roy had no intention of letting her die. He would wait an hour or so and then call the police after removing the repellant._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______He didn't want to hurt her or scare her, what he wanted was for her to stop treating him like a monster. He wasn't a monster, he would argue until he was blue in the face that he was nohing like the youmu the Warriors killed._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"You ambushed me," Riza murmured._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"So I did." Roy replied a slight smile on his lips._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"This was your plan all along." Riza glared at him vehemently._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy bowed proudly. "Guilty."_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"You want me to stop attacking you at school and in return you'll help me out?" Riza repeated his offer to calrify._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"No." He raised a finger and continued. "You will not attack me at all. You can go about your business and leave me alone. I'm not your practice dummy."  
"You would like that." Riza responded. _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Yes. Roy thought. I would like very much to not have my brains blown out again._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"In place of trying to kill you physically I want you to answer any questions I have." Her voice was demanding as she suggested this. She had no right to, but she wasn't going to just give up on him._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"Ooh counter-bid." Roy murmured looking at her. This wasn't quite what he had hoped for but at least getting her to talk instead of shoot might give him a chance to prove he was much more human than anyone thought. "Deal."_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy vanished for a moment. He came back with a long coild of rope. Roy was familiar wiht the abandoned place and new where a long piece of rope was stashed. He dropped one end down to her. Riza caught it and grabbed on tightly. Roy took a few steps back and then yanked on the rope. He took steps backwards as he pulled. After a few minutes of straining to lift her out he saw her fingers grasp the edge of the new hole._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy rushed back over offering her his hand. Dangling from rotting boards she ignored him and tried to pull herself up. When the floor creaked and shifted she instinctively reached for his outstretched hand._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Roy chuckled as he hefted her up. Once she was up she tried to let go of his hand but he held fast pulling her closer. "You made a deal with me," He reminded in a warning whisper._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"I know that!" She snapped back. He let her go and she stepped away._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"I'll keep up my end if you keep up yours," Roy offered._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Riza snorted. "I promised didn't I?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"Then shake on it." Roy's eyes gleamed with a challange. He stuck out his hand._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Riza glared at his hand for a long moment._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"I'm not contagious," Roy snarled._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Riza finally took his hand and shook quickly. Then she turned away and headed down the stairs. She cleared away the human repellant as he followed her out. He waited for her to leave first and then followed her out._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Outside she was already headed home, he shrugged and did the same. He had successfully put an end to her attempts at killing him. Now he just had to prove he wasn't a monster._ _ _ _ _ _


	4. Parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter I know. Also heres a few facts about my story:  
> I am only taking key plot points I want from Beyond the Boundary and creating other points myself.   
> Riza doesn't need a ring to negate her blood, It is not acidic in nature just very powerful.  
> Roy has some amount of control over youmu powers but he dislikes using them especially on humans. He also doesn't like the fact that using his powers gives his youmu side more power.

Roy regretted their cease-fire deal almost instantly. The blond girl was constantly asking all sorts of questions regarding strengths and weaknesses. She asked how long it took his body to heal a mortal wound. He surely didn't know, he really wasn't up to counting the seconds after his head was shot through. 

 

Every lunch period she asked him new questions. She'd sit there across from him her brown eyes in contemplation as he reluctantly answered her inquiries. After a week some of the students had taken notice that the babyfaced loner was actually sitting with someone for lunch. And a girl nonetheless.

 

Catherine's friends wondered what was going on with the two. She shrugged claiming she had no idea. The fact that Roy had agreed to exchange information in return for not getting shot made her angry. She had warned him to stay away from her completely.

 

The Warrior wasn't like most. She refused to give up or try to ignore him. Catherine had a feeling the new girl would be the cause of some larger issue in the future.

 

The youngest Armstrong nearly threw a fit when Riza appeared at the history club door on Friday. 

 

"What do you want?" She asked the other blond in agitation.

 

"I have a question for him." She pointed at the dark haired teen who was working away on his model. Her gesture made it clear she liked him no more than the other girl.

 

"I'm busy," Roy grumbled. "I have to get this finished." 

 

Catherine let Riza into the room. "Nonsense," She said. "You can answer a question for your friend." 

 

"She's not my friend," Roy spat in irritation. "I don't have friends remember?" I learned the hard way that you don't want me having any mates.

 

"Your parents," Riza said bluntly. 

 

"What about them?" Roy asked refusing to look at her. Anything but his parents. _Blast them and whatever insanity they were suffering from when they had an affair. ___

__

__"Tell me about them," Riza demanded. Catherine sat down intrigued. The half-youmu hadn't even told her anything about his family._ _

__

__"No. That's where I draw the line," He said evenly. His hands were shaking as he set down pieces of a building._ _

__

__"Answer my question or I shoot you right here," Riza reminded. That would endanger the model. He couldn't present a piece that was stained with his own blood on it._ _

__

__Fists clenched tightly he finally turned to look at her. His lips were curled in a sneer. "I'll answer that question just as soon as I find out myself." There was something almost feral and deadly in his black eyes._ _

__

__Riza looked at him taken aback. Usually he remained rather level headed. Obviously his parents were a sore subject._ _

__

__"What do you mean?" She asked. Was he trying to get her off the subject or did he really not know?_ _

__

__"I don't know!" Roy shouted at her. His black eyes were a storm of anger, hate, confusion, and longing. He really knew nothing about his parents. "As far as I know they're both dead." He turned away as if to end the discussion on that mournful note._ _

__

__"Certainly you know more than that," Riza pressed not caring if he was upset by her probing. At least he knew which was which, or had an idea._ _

__

__"I don't want to talk about them," He growled begging her to shove off._ _

__

__"I need to know," She said. "You agreed."_ _

__

__"Bloody hell can you not take a hint?" Roy stood up and started for the door. When he reached for the handle a flash of energy forced him to pull his hand away. He shook his hand as the pain faded. "Catherine," He groused in agitation. Leave it to his personal tormenter to put a barrier up in the room._ _

__

__"Answer the question," She ordered. Roy had no choice now, not unless he wanted to get in serious trouble._ _

__

__He glared at both women and sighed. Refusing to look either in the eye he whispered. "My father abandoned me with his sister when I was two. She knew what I was and tried to get something out of him. He just begged her to take care of me and then vanished. Two weeks later he was found dead." He kept his gaze on his shoes not wanting to see the looks in their eyes._ _

__

__"Your father was human?" Catherine asked a little surprised. She had been under the assumption that maybe his mother was human and had been the victim of some powerful youmu with a nasty penchant for sex._ _

__

__Roy nodded._ _

__

__"You live with your Aunt?" Riza asked._ _

__

__"Yes."_ _

__

__"Is she a Warrior?" Catherine asked wondering how any self-respecting Spirit Warrior could take care of a child that was technically their natural enemy._ _

__

__"No, she can perceive youmu, but she has no powers," Roy replied._ _

__

__"So you don't know what your m-mother was?" Riza asked stumbling over the word. Could she really call the thing that had birthed him a mother?  
Roy shook his head desperately wanting the conversation to end. _ _

__

__"So you don't know anything but what your Aunt told you. What if she's been lying this whole time?" Catherine asked. She was feeling mischievous._ _

__

__Roy looked up at her sharply. "Don't say that."_ _

__

__Riza watched him, the color had drained from his cheeks and he looked ready to start a fight._ _

__

__"I'm merely suggesting, what if she knows and is too disgusted to tell you the truth?" Her voice was full of something close to mirth. She was enjoying the way he squirmed under such questioning._ _

__

__Roy slammed a fist on the bookcase making it shake. "Leave her out of this!" He shouted. "She only did what my father asked her to," He added softly. Forget how hard it was being him, his aunt had had one hell of a time raising him. He knew the trouble she'd gone through with him. How dare anyone suggest she didn't truly care about him._ _

__

__Riza shifted nervously. "I have my answers." She headed for the door. Somehow she felt bad for asking such a touchy question. His reaction made her think he was ashamed of his parentage. In all honesty why wouldn't he be? There was also a lot of resentment in him. He despised his father for whatever wind of passion took hold of the deceased man and caused his son's existence. Riza had to admit she understood the shame, but she would never hate her parents. God rest their souls._ _

__

__Catherine nodded pleasantly to her. The girl may have been a rival, but she had been good for some amusement._ _

__

__When Riza was gone Catherine turned back to Roy a bored look on her face. "Would you like to go home now?" She asked in a patronizing tone._ _

__

__"Please," Roy whispered refusing to look at her. The barrier on the door vanished and he gathered his things before she changed her mind. As he stepped out into the hall she added one final insult to injury._ _

__

__"If I were you I'd ask your Aunt if she was honest with you." Catherine's voice faked encouragement._ _

__

__Roy slammed the door behind him "Bloody Armstrongs," He griped as he hurried to return home._ _

__

__God he hated them all. What a spectacle he had made of himself too. In all honesty how else was he supposed to deal with those two?_ _


	5. A Father's Love

Chris Mustang, known by the patrons of her pub as Madam Christmas looked up when her nephew entered the building. He had that grieved look in his eyes and the way his shoulders were slumped told her everything she needed to know. Despite her initial reaction to the halfblood child her brother had left with her, she'd grown to love him like a son. 

 

She felt a pang of helplessness. There was nothing she could do for the boy save comfort him in her usual manner. What he really needed was answers. Those could only come from her brother. Marcus had always been an impulsive fool but showing up in her bar one winter evening with a two year old child that was unmistakably his had topped his previous endeavors at proving his insanity.

 

"Hey Roy-boy." She greeted in a pleasant tone. 

 

He said nothing as he took a seat at the bar. She poured him a soda and slid the glass so that it came to a halt right in front of his nose. He took the glass and sipped at it noncommittally.

 

Sighing she tried her best to sound cheerful. "You want quiche?" She knew his favorite food and hoped that it would at least prove she cared about him. He nodded slightly. He had that haunted look on his face that came right before he asked those uncomfortable questions she loathed. 

 

The teen was obviously struggling lately. He didn't need to explain the blood on his school uniforms or inform her that his life was utterly miserable. She knew. Knew what kind of torture he suffered at the hands of the Armstrong family and every other Spirit Warrior he came across. 

 

What made her angry was she could do nothing. Olivier Armstrong had made it clear to the woman that she was to remain peaceful if she wanted to continue raising the boy. It would only take one slip up for the Armstrong family to declare her nephew a threat and have him thrown in some prison where the Society could experiment the hell out of him to discover a way to kill him. 

 

"Madam, did my father ever explain?" He asked in a quiet voice. There were patrons already and the staff busy at work.

 

"I wish he had Roy, but the only explanation he gave me was that you were to be taken care of. Said you were important but then he said goodbye to you and left." 

 

"Nothing at all? If my father was truly in fear of his life didn't he think to leave me something?" Roy questioned further. The woman bit her lower lip. She did have something, just an envelope addressed to the boy. Perhaps he was ready to learn the truth. She had not read it, in the fourteen years she had cared for him she had refused to read whatever her brother hoped would explain what his son needed to know. 

 

"There is one thing, Marcus left one letter addressed to you. I'll go fetch it." She vanished to the little back office where she managed the payroll and expenses for the pub. 

 

In the past fourteen years she hadn't thought about the letter until today. It had been addressed with the addage (when he is ready). Surely the sixteen year old was ready to know whatever the truth was. She feared it might be painful. What if her brother had been under some kind of spell and then left to deal with the consequence? What if he'd actively loved a youmu? How did that even work? Was that the reason he had been killed?

 

She found it wrinkled and bent but otherwise intact. Her brother's familiar script on the front reminded her of how much she wanted to beat the answers out of him. How dare he die after leaving his only son for her to care for. After a deep breath to fortify her own nervousness she stepped back out into the pub.

 

Chris handed Roy the letter. "Why don't you head back to the flat. I'll get you that quiche and you can eat it at home." 

 

Roy nodded his hands shaking. His father had left him something and while he wanted to know the truth he was terrified of what he would learn.

 

Quiche in one hand and letter in the other he boarded a double decker bus to get to the flat his aunt owned. It was a small place really, barely livable for two but they made it work.

 

It was home and that was all that mattered.

 

He unlocked the door with his key and entered the dark flat silently. He flicked on the lights and paused by the coat rack to drop his bookbag. He continued to the sitting room and absently turned on the television turning the volume down. He just didn't like the oppressive sound of silence. 

 

With suitable background noise he walked through the sitting room passing a pair of brown leather recliners and a cabinet with a lock. The liquor cabinet was always locked, not because his Aunt didn't trust him, but because she had gotten into the habit of doing it when he was little.

 

Once in the kitchen he pulled out a red ceramic plate and put his dinner on it before shoving it in the microwave. He punched the buttons and let it run. He went to the refridgerator and pulled a bottle of soda out. While he waited for his food to warm he looked at the letter. 

 

It was addressed to him in neat, stylized script that made him only that much more curious about his father.

 

'To my son Roy (when he is ready)' He opened the yellowing envelope slowly. The glue had worn off some and it released with little resistence. He pulled out a single sheet of stationery paper. It was crisp white with a blue monogram M in the right hand corner. 

 

Steeling his nerves with a deep breath Roy hesitated. What if Catherine was right? What if it was that much more horrible than it already was? Nonsense, it can't get worse. I need to know the truth.

 

He began reading silently:

__  
'Dear Roy,  
I must apologize for my absence in your childhood. I believe it will be hard whatever stigmas and prejudice you are bound to face. For that I am sorry. Forgive me for leaving you with your aunt, Chris can be a little rough sometimes but she's a bit of alright. You probably know quite well that humans and youmu do not get on well so you probably wonder how you were even born. 

_It's kind of a funny story. She could manifest a human form, and with it she killed dangerous youmu. However she could not receive payment, the local appraiser refused to do business with a youmu, even one as civilised as your mother. So she askd me. I would take the stones in claiming they were mine and then give her the reward money. She of course let me have a percentage and it worked out nicely._

_Too bad love doesn't care about the fine line between interspecies breeding. It just sort of happened. We progressed from business associates to friends to well, I'm sure you get the picture._

_You obviously know what came of our affair, and I have to say I am not sorry I did what I did. You are special Roy. What you will one day be capable of is very important. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, especially narrow minded Spirit Warriors. I am not allowed to eleborate on this, just know that you have a purpose in life. Your mother seemed to know that purpose but never explained it._

_You should know that she died protecting you, we were found out by the Society and they came after us. We were a happy family in Glastonburry. They somehow figured it out and came for us. I blame myself for her death. She sent us away from the house while she kept the Investigators busy.  
I made straight for your Aunt's knowing full well that I was next. They had no idea of your existence then, but I'm sure you've been discovered now. I hope you aren't too troubled. I knew Chris would be unable to refuse my last request and I am sure she's raised you to be a gentleman and all. I am so sorry I could not be there for you, to tell you everything. _

_I wish you could have been old enough to remember your mother. She was something else, and she adored you. I wish I could see how you turn out. Do you have my powers to channel energy or perhaps your mother's ability to create fire? There's so much I'll never get to see. Just know that if you are reading this you were not left alone because I could not handle the responsibility of a hybrid child._

_This won't fix everything, but I figure if you're anything like me, you need some kind of answers. I hope this letter finds you well and in good health. Please know how much your mother and I love you._

_Love your father,  
Marcus Mustang'_

__  
Roy set the letter down not knowing what to think. His parents had been happy together. They had been in love, he had been loved. He wasn't abandoned out of disgust, it was to protect him._ _

__

__Pressing his head into his hands he fought back a few salty tears. He'd spent most of his life hating his parents for what they had done to him, but now he knew how much they had loved him and it burned to know he had thought so poorly of them. _I'm sorry. I didn't know. _____


	6. How to Make Friends

Roy spent the weekend at home trying to find a way to get the Hawkeye girl off his back. He needed some way to prove he wasn't worth it. But the only way he could get her to let up on him would be to win her friendship. That was unlikely.

 

Monday came and with no successful plans he resigned to deal with the lunch break Q and A session. Except she didn't approach at the table he sat at. He looked for her to see if she was hiding or avoiding him. 

 

There was no sign of her. Maybe her boss had grown tired of her failure and sent her back to where ever she came from.

 

In the club room Catherine made lots of annoying chatter. "I see your friend didn't show up at lunch. She get tired of talking to a lower life form?" 

 

Roy twitched but continued ignoring her. He was going over a photo book of images of the WWII air raid aftermath. He wanted the rubble to look real. 

 

Call him obsessed, but he prided himself in doing a good job.

 

"Someone is surprisingly quiet today." She teased. 

 

"Will you shut up?" Roy begged looking at her from over his book. 

 

"I will think about it." Catherine answered. 

 

She was about to speak again when her brother walked in. "Riza Hawkeye failed to come to class and did not call in." He said as he sat down at the table. 

 

Catherine looked at Roy. "Did something happen this weekend?" 

 

"I had nothing to do with this." He growled. But he wondered if perhaps she were afraid of coming back. Or had something worse happened? Why did he even care?

 

Roy stood up and faked a yawn. "I am going home." 

 

It was easy getting the address from the office. The secretary always left the office at a quarter to five for a smoke. She was typically gone for seven minutes. Roy knew where the new student files were kept, and now that he knew her name he had her address in four minutes. 

 

When he left he could not decide what to do. For some insane reason he wanted to check on her. The rest of him wanted to just ignore her and hope she had gone home.

 

After ten minutes of debating he headed towards her apartment. He found it with little trouble and once outside the door he panicked. _As soon as she sees me she will attack. I should just go home and forget this nonsense. I would want someone to check on me. _These last words were the nail in his coffin. Maybe it would be a good way to make a friend out of an enemy. Or it could result in him losing his brains, again.__

__

__With a deep breath he knocked on the door._ _

__

__After a moment he heard approaching footsteps and he made to bolt when he heard the door creak open. He spun around in time to see Riza stare at him in shock. She was pale and looked like she wasn't feeling well. There were shadows under her eyes and she twitched at the sight of him.  
"What are you doing here?" She asked defensively._ _

__

__"You missed school today, I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Roy admitted feeling rather silly. Why was he trying to be nice to her? Because it was the only option._ _

__

__"How did you find me?" She demanded._ _

__

__"I uh snuck into the office." He rubbed the back of his neck._ _

__

__"As you can see I am fine." Riza replied starting to close the door. She shut it tightly not feeling up to attacking her enemy. He had delivered himself up to her doorstep and she didn't even have the strength to fight him._ _

__

__She returned to her blanket nest on the couch grabbing a handkercheif as she sat down. She looked back at the television where a rerun of Doctor Who was playing. She tried to focus on the story as she wrapped the thick cover around her shivering form._ _

__

__But the gesture refused to go unnoticed. He had come and asked her if she was ok. Her own enemy! What was wrong with him? What was wrong with her? Why did she feel warm inside at the thought that someone had checked up on her after missing a day of school? Especially since that someone was Roy Mustang, HER TARGET! She was supposed to be finding a way to eradicate his existence not getting excited because he was treating her decently._ _

__

___He certainly knows how to manipulate a person. She thought. Or he is the world's biggest idiot. ____ _

____ _ _

____She didn't realize that for the first time she had considered Roy as a person and not as some creature. It wouldn't dawn on her until much later that she was already viewing him differently._ _ _ _


	7. Twilight Ambition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I posted two chapters because I go on vacation on Sunday and will be gone for a week! Also I leave you on a cliff hanger HAHA!

Roy was graced with her presence at lunch the next day and he smiled at her. It wasn't a real smile, more like an 'I'm glad to see my enemy is still alive' kind of expression. She ignored it. 

 

"What do you want to know today?" He asked preparing for another round of painfully private questions.

 

"Do you hate your parents?" She asked. 

 

Roy blinked at her. Not the parents subject again. Sure his father's letter had helped make sense of everything, but it made the topic no less uncomfortable for him. It was still an awkard thing to discuss.

 

"No." He replied simply.

 

"Then why did you lose your temper Friday?" She asked. As long as she asked a question he was bound to answer it. 

 

"Because it's obviously not my favorite topic." 

 

"Ok but you got real defensive about your Aunt." Riza observed. She took a bite of salad and waited for a response. 

 

Roy swallowed his bite of a sandwich and his pride. "I don't appreciate Catherine's taunts. She's a useless fickle twit. My aunt is the only family I have, and I'm fortunate she didn't hand me over to the Society." He answered. "Seems all anyone can think to do with me is try to kill me or threaten to imprison me. She's the only one who treats me like a person." It felt good to admit his aunt was somewhat of a hero to him. She'd been good to him, even if he wasn't totally human.

Riza nodded in understanding. No wonder he got angry when Catherine said that. 

 

"What about you?" Roy asked. "What's your story? I've told you mine." He asked before she could barrage him with more questions.

 

"That wasn't our deal." She fired back looking at him intently. She had no intention of revealing her own past. He wasn't worth knowing it.

 

"Come on, just a little bit. Where are you from?" Roy pressed boldly. Sure she could shoot him in the head, but it wasn't like that was going to kill him.

 

"Cambridge." She replied almost robotically.

 

"What about your bloodline?" Roy asked.

 

"It's cursed. Or at least that's the rumor. I'm not like most Warriors, I can turn my very blood into a deadly weapon. It's not safe for people to be around me when I'm injured or fighting youmu. No one likes my power, they all fear it." She answered.

 

"I know the feeling." Roy replied. 

 

"My employer offered me a place to work where I won't be judged for my blood. Back in Cambridge I was alone without any friends. I knew people in other towns, normal people, but other Warriors despise my heritage." She added. 

 

Roy felt like he could relate to her, which wasn't exactly a good thing. 

 

"And your parents are dead correct?" He asked almost relishing in returning the favor.

 

She nodded silently a dark look in her mahogany eyes.

 

"Don't want to talk about them either?" He asked suddenly rising. He leaned in close to her, "If you're wondering why I appeared at your doorstep like an idiot yesterday, just ask yourself how you would like to be treated. It's always different when you're the one on the recieving end." He whispered in a cool voice. 

 

She blinked and turned to look at him but he was already halfway to a trash bin.

 

Riza watched his back shrink away from her. _I guess he's right. I would want someone to check up on me, and I certainly would want someone to respect the fact that I have things I'd like to keep private. ___

__

__She sighed. This was becoming more and more complicated. She certainly wasn't learning anything useful in terms of killing him. In fact the more she learned about him, the more human he seemed._ _

__

__She would need to try a new tactic. But what? He was capable of turning an attack around so easily. He'd been on the recieving end for long enough that he was quite capable of turning the tides on his enemy with minimal effort._ _

__

__That was a dangerous fact to note. Did Olivier know this about him?_ _

__

__Roy found it hard to focus on his model of Paternoster Row. The print shops and book manufacturers stood in their line waiting for his gentle fingers to continue breathing life into them. They almost begged him to paint and glue on them until he was tired of it. But today the teen was not feeling the creative flow he normally relished in._ _

__

__Instead he was wondering about Riza. More importantly he was hoping his words had reached her. He highly doubted it, but some part of him remained hopeful that maybe, just maybe, she was starting to understand him better._ _

__

__His revere was broken when Catherine and Alex both entered the room cutting off a conversation. "How's our history club pet doing?" The girl asked relentless as usual._ _

__

__"Catherine." Alex admonished._ _

__

__"Just on my way out actually." Roy replied._ _

__

__"Be careful tonight." Alex said in a concerned voice. "There's a deadly youmu called the Twilight Ambition out there."_ _

__

__"So what I'm not allowed to leave the apartment until tomorrow morning? I'm guessing you'll want me to check in with you guys?" Roy asked exasperated with their overbearing control over him._ _

__

__"Exactly." Catherine said nodding in satisfaction. "See, even he can be trained."_ _

__

__"I'll see you tomorrow." Roy grabbed his things and brushed by the siblings trying not to take offense at Catherine's jibes._ _

__

__Roy left only to literally run into Riza. She stared at him as they backed apart. Roy apologized instantly. "Sorry, I didn't see you there"_ _

__

__"I wasn't watching where I was going." She admitted._ _

__

__"Hey watch yourself tonight." Roy began before they returned on their separate ways._ _

__

__"Why?" Riza asked looking at him curiously. Why would he continue to look after her well being?_ _

__

__"The Twilight Ambition is supposed to hit London tonight." He explained rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Would she take it as a compliment that he wanted her to be safe or would she take offense at her enemy offering such concern?_ _

__

__Her eyes widened in recognition and the grip on her satchel tightened considerably. He looked at her intently. "You know this youmu don't you?" He asked._ _

__

__"It drains a person of their ambition and will. I've seen it happen before." She said tightly._ _

__

__"Who?"_ _

__

__"My father was possessed by it." She murmured. Despite her desire to keep her family history private this new information dragged it out of her. "He was a good Warrior, kept Cambridge well safe guarded. I went to visit a friend for a few days and when I came home, he was listless. The light had gone out of his eyes and he was so pale and exhausted. It didn't take long to figure it out, but by then it was too late. He died that evening. The Twilight Ambition just drained him of his very will to live." She shuddered at the memory of her father fading before her eyes._ _

__

__"Don't go seeking revenge." Roy warned._ _

__

__"It's not revenge, I just don't want anyone else to face what I did. It was horrible. It was like he was a zombie, he could talk to me, but it was so unlike him." She turned her burning eyes on him. "I have to stop it before it destroys another family."_ _

__

__She turned to leave the school needing to prepare for such a fight. Roy watched her go wanting to do something but he could see Catherine in the corner of his eye. She had heard everything by the look on her face. "Don't try to help her, that's an order Roy."_ _

__

__He nodded and went on his way. But on the bus from his aunt's pub to the flat he made a decision. _I wouldn't want to face a monster like that alone. Especially if it defeated a skilled Warrior like her father. I know she's my enemy, but maybe I can prove her wrong about me and about herself. _____

____ _ _

____He texted Catherine to let her know he was home and then an hour later he was out the door again in proper evening attire. He wore trousers, a button down, jacket, and sneakers. He didn't know where to find Riza but he figured he would know when the beast arrived. For a while he loitered on the bridge looking down at the Thames. The murky water rushed by giving an illusion of movement if he stared too long._ _ _ _

____ _ _

_____When the sun had gone down he started walking around waiting for a sign of something wrong or off.  
It came in the form of a silvery flash of light in the direction of Regent's Park. Roy bolted.  
He hurried hoping that he would not arrive too late. Blast his desire to help people, he should have let that stubborn fool face it alone._ _ _


	8. A Most Unusual Fight

Riza stood in the center of Regent's Park wearing a pair of black cargo pants, an athletic shirt, and a thick khaki jacket with the sleeves folded up away from her hands. She had been focusing on pooling all her ambition and advertising it mentally. She had to attract the youmu to her. When a silver light flashed in the sky she called out to it. 

 

"Come and face me! I'll kill you myself so no one else suffer's my pain." That got its attention and sure enough it converged on her. The Twilight Ambition wasn't a physical monster but an ethereal one made of a silver gaseous cloud. It hovered yards above her. 

 

She raised her blood gun and shot at it several times. In the darkness it glowed and the already quiet park illuminated with its presence. The trees cast dark and whimsical shadows all around her. She fired repeatedly into the cloud though it seemed to not react at all. Do me a favor and die! She begged.   
It came towards her in a whirlwind and she continued to fire blood capsules into it. The youmu was silent though and she had no way of knowing if she were injuring it or wasting precious blood.

 

When it was near enough she swung her bloody weapon and it shifted so that the muzzle became a blade. She cut through it cleanly. The youmu seemed to writhe for several moments before fusing back together and coming at her with more speed. Now angry it attacked more aggresively, she dodged it and ran for cover. She jumped the fountain rings somersaulting over it and swinging her blade behind her as she landed. 

 

She struck it again like this and it seemed to shrink in size. She was making a difference she realized. With renewed hope she continued attacking, but the angrier it got the faster it moved.

 

She dodged several tendrils of wispy silver mist that shot for her face or her weapon hand. She cut into it again this time demanding her blood splatter all through it. Droplets of blood spread through the cloud and it convulsed in on itself. It shrank even more as it recovered from the staggering attack.   
She used this chance to put some distance between herself and it. She leapt up somersaulting and landing gracefully in the branches of an ancient oak tree. She caught her breath wiping sweat from her brow. Though trained for this she was already feeling weak and tired. Blood sugar and iron levels were low. 

 

Riza watched it search for her momentarily unaware of her hiding place. She steadied her nerves ready for a second round. It was still formiddable in size and it zipped around in agitation searching for her.

 

When it neared the tree she was perched in she jumped from the branch and swung the gun/sword combo at it in quick slashes. She worked her arms in the training pattern her father had used for sword techniques. 

 

She landed on the ground crouching low. She stared at the youmu as it convulsed and shrank again. Her powerful blood was working but at a painfully slow rate. The cloud was still the size of a large sedan and moving alarmingly fast now. She tried to block a tendril that shot for her face but it still knicked her cheek. Cold shocked her.

 

She stumbled back her weapon raised in defense. She made to reform it into a sheild but she was too slow. Several tendrils attacked from separate angles all at once. Her feet were knocked out from under her and she fell to the ground painfully as one tendril struck her on the cheek. The wind rushed out of her lungs and she stared at the night sky in surprise.

 

The cloud then hovered above her. Its tendrils reached out for her nose and mouth seeking entrance into her body. 

 

She clamped everything shut. Her hand covered her nose but she knew she couldn't hold her breath for long. Tendrils of icy cold mist wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Once she was tied down her hand was yanked away from her face and she tried to plug her nose shut. 

 

Tendrils tickled her lips with icy carresses that begged for her to let it in. Riza shook her head from side to side desparate to keep it out. She had no intention of being possessed by such a hideous creature.

 

Just as she was beginning to sruggle for a breath she heard a familiar voice shouting her name. "Riza! Riza hold on!" It was Roy. Roy? What was that half-blood idiot doing here of all places?

 

Roy found her just in time it looked like. His shouting caused the Twilight Ambition to pause and he caught his breath a moment. He had run a good distance to get here. "Leave her alone!" He shouted. He approached but a tendril shot out and struck him hard across the forehead. He went reeling backwards. 

 

Roy stood up and glared at the thing. If it wanted to play rough he was all for it. He closed his eyes for a moment focusing on that frightening power just under the surface. He needed to tap into that part of himself if he wanted to save Riza. 

 

Slowly his hands itched as his fingernails elongated and circular markings appeared on the back of his hands. He kept the change to his hands and without warning fire erupted in the air around him. He sent a volley of fireballs into the silvery cloud. 

 

Each one burned away at the misty monster. It released Riza and turned on him instantly. He had no chance of outrunning or outmaneuvering the thing. He used his fire against it but it only held it back briefly. 

 

Then the cloud began to circle around him. It spun faster and faster until it was all around him like a mini tornado. He felt the air being pulled away from him and he was unable to generate flames. 

 

Riza's voice shouted for him but he couldn't see anything but the silver swirling around him. Then the tendrils came at him and because he was aleady gasping for air they slipped into his mouth and throat. 

 

It felt wrong. Icy cold shot into his esophagus and pitted in his stomach. The sensation crawled up his nose and down into his lungs. Slowly it began to seep into his blood stream. Soon it would consume him. He felt his will drain as the cold filled him up. Feeling suddenly lethargic he fell to his knees.   
Riza screamed his name. "ROY!" She rushed towards him. The cloud was all around his head and it shrank with every second as it continued to invade   
him. She watched in horror, what would happen? Could a full youmu kill him? Would he be forever possessed by that thing? She hoped not.

 

"Riza, shoot me." Roy demanded. She blinked at him. Was he insane? He wanted her to shoot him?

 

Roy knew there was only one way to get rid of this thing conquering his will. He struggled to think as his mind grew bleary with exhaustion he knew was false. "Shoot me in the head and make the bullet explode!" He had but one chance to free himeslf from the Twilight Ambition before it was too late.

 

Admittedly he had a theory as the thing slowly gained access to him. Theoretically while in the middle of a possession it should be the most vulnerable. If he removed any sense of will or ambition breifly the youmu would be forced to evacuate his body giving Riza a clear shot at it before it could recover. So long as her bullet did what he needed it to. 

 

"But what about you?" Now she didn't want to hurt him. Not after he had saved her life without even considering the safety of his own. 

 

"I'll be fine!" He promised. "I can't die remember?" 

 

Riza raised her hand calling her blood into action again. She raised the gun this time with a large wide muzzle. She pointed it at his head shakily. "I don't want to hurt you." 

 

"I'm better off facing your blood than this thing!" He shouted in pain. God it felt so cold throughout his body. Shivering he looked up at her his ebony eyes begging her to do it. He wanted to close his eyes and just sleep. His will was fading as was his desire to survive. Soon he would just give up and maybe wind up a vegetable for eternity. 

 

Riza couldn't refuse that look in his eyes. They were so full of pleading that she had to do as he asked. Without another hesitation she fired at him. As she had been instructed the bullet exploded on impact. His head shattered into a million fragments. She watched brainmatter shoot off in different directions and she fought back a shudder.


	9. What Lurks Within

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, SO VERY SORRY THIS IS SO LATE... After vacation back in May I didn't feel well, my work changed up some stuff, my mom was hospitalized for an infection that went septic in July, and I almost lost all the files on my computer...  
> So now I am back, I will post three or four chaps tonight to make up for the long hiatus.... I never intended it to be so long but life just kind of piled up.   
> Thanks for your patience.

His body slumped forward a bloody mess where his eyes and hair should have been. She looked away instead focusing on the silver enemy.

 

Roy lost conscious thought for a moment. The absense of a functioning brain gave him just the leverage he needed. Momentarily devoid of will or ambition the youmu attempting to possess him was left without a viable host. Immediately it began to extricate itself from him. 

 

When Roy's mind reconnected the first thing he felt was the icy cold withdrawing from him. Then he heard Riza's battlecry as she attacked it. Slowly, because his head ached something terrible, he sat up and opened his eyes. _This must be what a headache feels like._

__

__He watched as Riza struck blow after blow into the enemy youmu until it was hardly the size of a pillow. Her movements were graceful and fluid. She was completely in her element destroying the creature._ _

__

__Finally she swung the blood weapon and the remaining cloud shattered into bits of mist. With a flash of light a large stone dropped to the ground. It shone with a turquois hue._ _

__

__Gasping for breath Riza turned her worried eyes on Roy. She was panicking that she might have to explain to his aunt that she had killed him unintentionally. But he was propped up where he had fallen his head completely healed and his eyes shining._ _

__

__"I told you I can't be killed." He said when she rushed to his side and fell on her seat beside him. He grimaced and the strange markings on his hands darkened. "You should run." He warned._ _

__

__She blinked at him, "Why?" She asked in confusion. What was going on?_ _

__

__"He's going to give you a view of his true self." Catherine said in warning. She and Alex wearing simple street clothes appeared from behind the pair. "Good work getting yourselves into trouble."_ _

__

__"It would be best if you took a few steps back miss Hawkeye." Alex suggested politely._ _

__

__Riza looked back at Roy who waved her away desperately. "Go, please." His hands tightened to fists and he clenched his jaw. As she rose and stepped backwards away from him she could just make out his teeth elongating into sharp fangs._ _

__

__"This had better be serious or I'm gonna charge you guys." A new shrill voice announced the arrival of two blond teen boys. Judging by the accent they were German and not too happy to be called out in the middle of the night._ _

__

__"Edward, it's not nice to complain about everything!" The boy with short hair said. He looked at his brother who wore his hair long in a braid with long messy bangs on either side of his face. They both had golden eyes._ _

__

__"Aw shit." The one named Edward groaned. "He didn't."_ _

__

__"We got here as soon as we realized where he was, but it was obviously too late." Catherine looked at Riza. "What did happen?"_ _

__

__Riza shifted nervously not fully understanding what was going on here. Why was everyone so terrified? Alex was already constructing a cage around Roy. Flashing blue and green energy lit up in a cube around the dark haired teen._ _

__

__"He saved my life, and then it was possessing him, and I shot him in the head because he said to." She replied slightly frightened now._ _

__

__"He knew how to defeat the youmu, but he put himself in a dangerous position to do it." The voice of Izumi Curtis greeted them all._ _

__

__"The idiot." Edward grumbled._ _

__

__"A noble endeavor if not for the threat it posed." Alex surmised._ _

__

__Riza looked at Roy through the cage. He had his eyes shut tight. When he opened them she stifled a gasp. The whites of his eyes had gone blood red. Not only that but he now sported beastly fangs and his fingernails had become claws. The marks on the back of his hands seemed to glow red. The markings had spread up the side of his neck ending at his jawline.  
It was a startling comparison to his usual appearance. _ _

__

__Everyone stared at him. Izumi spoke as the rest of the teenagers were too startled to. "Roy can you hear me?" She asked in a gentle, placating tone._ _

__

__He turned his eyes on her and nodded. "Someone really should call his aunt." Catherine suggested. "She'll know how to calm him."_ _

__

__"No time." Alex replied._ _

__

__Roy suddenly rose to his feet. He pressed a hand to the barrier and pulled back a hiss escaping his lips. "Can he not talk like this?" Riza asked._ _

__

__"He's not lucid enough for speech. His mind's full of only his negative thoughts and emotions." Edward's brother explained._ _

__

__"Save the info for later Alphonse!" Ed snapped._ _

__

__Riza looked at them. Negative emotions. So he was suffering in a whirlwind of all the anger, despair, loneliness, jealousy, hatred, and self-loathing he kept bottled up inside? And then there was the fire. She had seen the flames he wielded earlier. If he could summon fire and manipulate it that was a problem._ _

__

__"Don't move Roy, we need you to focus on calming down. I heard you saved Hawkeye's life. That's a good thing. Very brave and heroic of you." Izumi said gently._ _

__

__Riza understood now. They were trying to appeal to his human emotions. Youmu were born of the negativity and evil of humanity. They knew only anger and hatred. Humans were capable of joy, compassion, and love._ _

__

__"Yes thank you Roy!" Riza said suddenly. "You saved my life, I'm in your debt."_ _

__

__Catherine turned to her in terror. "No you'll only make it worse!"_ _

__

__Roy's eyes narrowed as he focused on Riza. She swallowed, she could feel the anger in those startling eyes. He had saved her life yet he still despised her for all those horrible things she had said and done. He should have never come to her rescue, but he had._ _

__

__"Roy eyes on me!" Izumi snapped getting his attention. "You're safe, do you want us to call Madam?" He looked at her a moment before shaking his head, his eyes softened in worry. He didn't want her to see him like this. "Understood, but you have to relax." She commanded._ _

__

__Roy was just closing his eyes as though beginning to meditate when Olivier showed up. She walked up in a strict business suit and approached Izumi. "Well?" She asked._ _

__

__"Sister you shouldn't be here!" Alex exclaimed. He knew how much Roy disliked his older sister._ _

__

__Roy's eyes snapped open at the mention of Olivier. They narrowed and he glared at her._ _

__

__"Get a good look Hawkeye, that's what I've hired you to destroy. That is a monster right there." Olivier said coldly. "It nearly killed my brother two years ago."_ _

__

__Riza gasped, but judging by what she knew Alex must have provoked Roy._ _

__

__Roy howled in an echoy unearthly voice. Then the barrier began to fizzle. He strode forward seeking freedom._ _

__

__"Madam Christmas is on her way!" Catherine shouted._ _

__

__"We don't need her." Olivier snapped. "I should have her brought on trial for harboring the child all these years."_ _

__

__"Roy," Riza said stepping for the cage._ _

__

__"Hawkeye no!" Olivier ordered._ _

__

__Roy met her eyes but they held no recognition. His claws scraped against the barrier in an attempt to get free. He roared again and it began to weaken. "He can negate Warrior powers." So that's what made him such a threat._ _

__

__"The hell is wrong with you?" Olivier snarled._ _

__

__Roy attacked the barrier again and this time it exploded. Riza was thrown back but the others were unharmed. Even like this it was as if he were trying not to hurt anyone. His snarling visage looked around and as he began to walk away she rose and dove for him her blood swirling around her hand. She would knock him unconscious with a shot to the head if she could.  
So this was the grand truth about the cursed blood. That only they could hold at bay the greatest enemy of the entire spirit world. That their blood was not truly cursed but imbued with a power to balance. To ensure something of great destructive force could be stopped. _ _

__

__Her blood lashed into him and the fire and negative energy died as the others watched on. He swiped at her and sent her sprawling a few feet away. But he was already stilling. His aura shrank back to normal and his human features were restored and then he fell to the ground._ _


	10. Monster or Hero?

Roy jolted awake feeling a familiar ache and burn within him. He'd lost it. But there was no wake of destruction this time. In fact everyone was still standing and his hands were clean.

 

Riza approached him.

 

"Don't touch me." Roy whispered in an alarmed tone. "Please just stay back." He held his head in his hands. All he wanted was to help people. What good was being immortal if he lost control after a severe injury? He felt so useless sometimes. He tried to ignore the close proximity of Riza, but she was kneeling beside him now. 

 

He slowly pulled his fingers away enough to give her a quick glance. 

 

"You saved me." She murmured in shock. "I mean, you could have just left me to face it on my own and then you wouldn't have had to worry about me again." She continued not quite understanding why. 

 

Roy gritted his teeth. Everyone assumed he had no sense of compassion or that he was too full of hate to do anything for anyone else. Or that being half youmu meant he had to be inherintly evil.

 

"I just wanted to help you out. I knew you couldn't face it alone, and I thought maybe I could make a difference." He covered his eyes with his fingers again. It would have been great if he hadn't let himself slip. He could feel those awful emotions just beneath the surface waiting for him to give in. They never went away, he could bury them deep inside but one way or another they would surface again.

 

"Get up!" Olivier's cold voice rang in his ears. He looked up at her furious visage and sighed. Riza offered to help him up but he refused climbing to his feet on his own. "Hawkeye go home." The woman spat. "And pack your things, I see it was no use bringing you here. Not even a perfect opportunity worked in your favor."

 

Riza hung her head. She had failed and now Armstrong was going to send her back to that empty home where her father had died.

 

The girl stepped back a few feet not wanting to leave just yet.

 

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" The woman demanded her focus back on the dark haired boy. He remained silent his eyes on the ground. "Look at me when I'm talking to you." She commanded in agitation. His black eyes shot up at her in contempt. He despised her most of all. "Answer my question. I know you're capable of speech again."

 

"I was trying to help her." Roy replied quietly. He just wanted to lock himself in his room and hide for the next month. They'd all seen him for what he really was, most importantly Riza had. Not that it mattered now. 

 

"And you very nearly went on another rampage." The woman admonished. 

 

"I didn't!" Roy countered. "I just lost control, but I didn't even try to hurt anyone!" It was true, he'd tried to make an escape but he never wanted to hurt the people gathered to stop him. 

 

"Because they got here in time." Olivier replied. It was blatant that she believed nothing good would ever come out of him. Too blinded by prejudice and hatred to see anything useful in him she had long ago labeled him a monster and refused to acknowledge anything different.

 

"That's not true." Roy said, "Sure I was in a rage, but I didn't want to hurt anyone. We both know I could have killed you all in a heartbeat but I didn't!" He yelled. 

 

Olivier's hand struck his cheek without warning and he stumbled back from the blow. "I'll not be talked back to by some sniveling halfbreed!" 

 

"Armstrong!" Chris Mustang greeted loudly. The woman had arrived and was approaching slowly. She was never one to over react or panic. Her concern was for the wellbeing of her nephew and seeing as no one was hurt she figured it must not have been that bad.

 

"Roy-boy, what trouble have you got yourself into now?" She asked in that gruff voice of hers. She looked at Olivier and sighed. "Any damage done?"

 

"No." Izumi replied. "He seemed to be quite in control of his actions this time." 

 

"Madam Christmas, I think perhaps it's time you and I discussed our current agreement. I am most displeased with the events of this evening." Olivier looked at her. 

 

The dark haired pub owner stared back as unyielding as the other. "What about our agreement?" She asked. Roy had instinctively moved towards his aunt. She was the only person he could trust. 

 

"I think perhaps it's time you allowed me to put it where it belongs." Olivier said demandingly. "This is exactly the kind of situation I wanted to avoid. Roy was given a directive to remain indoors tonight. And yet here Roy is in Regent's Park and just coming out of an episode no less."

 

"I agree he should have stayed at home like he promised. But what's the harm here if no one was injured?" Madam asked. Even if some part of her agreed with the blond woman she would never do that to him. He was still techinically a child.

 

"The threat your nephew poses is far too great to continue like this. The only reason no one was hurt was because the containment team I called out got here before the situation got out of control." 

 

"I don't know Olivier." Izumi interjected. "Roy was rather tame. I didn't get the sense he was going to attack from him at all." 

 

"Who asked you?" Olivier asked.

 

"You did. I'm supposed to assess the child's threat potential. He was certainly in a dangerous state, but he showed no intention of reaching that kind of level. He was more upset about slipping." 

 

"So what, I'm just supposed to ignore the fact that he put himself in danger on purpose knowing full well the repercussions of such an action all in the name of saving some stupid girl?" 

 

"You're just mad I'm still alive." Roy looked at Olivier. "That's all that matters to you is getting rid of me because you think I'm some kind of threat." 

 

"I know you are a threat." She corrected. "Tonight's incident proves it."

 

"He didn't mean to put himself in such a position. He saved me, I was too weak to fight the Twilight Ambition and he stopped it from possessing me, instead it nearly consumed him and I did what I needed to to help him." Riza spoke up finally. 

 

"You should have let it drain him completely." Olivier sneered. 

 

"I couldn't, despite my insistence on fighting with him he helped me. He came to my rescue out of the goodness of his heart." Riza argued. 

 

"There is no goodness in his heart." Olivier shouted at the girl. "That boy isn't safe, he almost killed Alex, I can't ignore that fact. It's a monster, nothing good can come from a worthless halfbreed like him." 

 

Roy was already walking away. He couldn't stand being talked about while he was right there. The words burned in his ears. _I can't do anything right, even when I try. No one will ever accept me as I am, maybe I should have let it possess me. At least I wouldn't have to feel this way anymore. ___

__

__He sat down on a stone bench well away from the others. He pressed his face against his folded hands. "I'm a right bloody mess." He murmured smirking ironically. There was nothing he could do that didn't blow up in his face. The one time he did something selfless he created a bigger mess._ _

__

___I don't know how Madam puts up with a failure like me. Seriously, I must be the biggest disappointment. _Despising his existence with every heartbeat he laid down on the bench folding his arms under his head and looked up at the inky night sky. There were a few stars twinkling in the dark expanse far away. How he wished he could just float away into the night sky and forget his cares. He blinked as a shadow passed over him. Opening is eyes he took in the concerned face of Riza.__ _ _

____ _ _

____"What do you want?" Roy asked tiredly._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"They're still arguing." Riza shrugged. "I don't think they know you're gone."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Good."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____The blond looked down at him curiously. "I didn't hurt you did I?" She asked._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____He raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head. The concern was out of character for her. They remained in awkard silence for a moment. He sat up clearing a space for her to sit down. She sat beside him leaving a considerable distance out of respect for his space._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I'm hideous aren't I?" Roy asked quietly._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Why do you say that?" Riza frowned at him._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Because I am. It was on everyone's faces. All of you were terrified I was going to get out of hand." He closed his eyes tilting his face towards the sky and leaning back on his hands. Riza couldn't help but notice the tortured air he exuded._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"But you didn't."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Barely." He replied still keeping his eyes closed. "I can't do anything without mucking it up. I can't even die right."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Maybe so, but you did save my life tonight. For that I'm grateful, you also helped me prevent other people from suffering." She replied._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Are you trying to make me feel better?" Roy asked._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I'm being honest with you." Riza corrected. "I didn't deserve that kindness from you."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I couldn't let you run recklessly to your death." He returned as if it were nothing._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Stop acting like you weren't a hero back there. Professor Curtis even called you heroic." She rejoined losing patience with him. Maybe he had his issues, but he'd done something no one else would have ever done for her._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I'm not a hero, an idiot maybe, but you are looking at someone who is far from hero material." He looked at her then a curious look in his onyx eyes. It was somewhere between grateful for her appreciation and horrified that she could call him a hero after all that._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Nonsense. The Americans have comic books where people who turn into rage monsters are the 'hero'." She informed._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Hah, that's fiction, this is reality." He replied._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I thought you were the one who told me that things don't have to be the way they are."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____He looked at her. He was about to say something when his aunt's voice interupted._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Come on Roy, we're going home." She started for the edge of the park. He got up quickly knowing better than to test her patience._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Will I see you at school tomorrow?" Riza asked._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Probably not." Roy admitted. He shrugged his shoulders unwilling to voice the possibility he may never see her again at all._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Her brown eyes wavered as he turned away. She watched him follow his aunt hesitantly, wondering if she would see him again._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Roy walked as quickly as his legs would carry him, hands in pockets and head down. There was a very good reason to dawdle tonight. Olivier had blown her top over the whole incident and now his very freedom was at stake. It only rubbed him more that he even had to live with that shadow looming over him._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____He climbed into his aunt's car wordlessly. She turned the ignition and the older sedan rumbled to life. She pulled out and the park vanished behind them. For a long while the woman was just as untalkative. Roy could tell her news wasn't going to be pleasant in the least._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Roy," She began looking at him. He sunk into his seat not wanting to hear what she had to say._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Olivier has agreed to sleep on it. She's arriving at the flat for tea tomorrow." The woman said._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Roy sighed, that should have been good news. But it meant he had to fear for his future for the rest of the night and into the morning. Usually the head of the Armstrong family was less impulsive if she had time to think about a decision, but she really did hate him._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I'm doomed aren't I?" Roy asked miserably. Madam Christmas said nothing because she felt that denying such a claim might be a lie and she was above lying to her nephew._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____The silence spread between them until they arrived at the darkened flat. Once they were inside she grabbed his arm before he could vanish behind his bedroom door. "You want to tell me what happened tonight?"_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____He shook his head mutely._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"Roy." She began sternly. "I need to know what happened. I can't help you if you won't help yourself."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____He looked at her sharply. "I went and saved the life of a Warrior who has been trying to kill me. She went after that youmu tonight. I went to help her because I had a feeling she would have died. I got myself in a little deeper than I expected and she had to," He paused and swallowed. "I told her to shoot me because it was the only way to weaken it enough to defeat it."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"You didn't even think about what could happen to you did you?" She asked gently. He shook his head. Sure there was always danger, but he hadn't considered getting himself in that much trouble. "Why'd you save someone you considered an enemy?" She asked with a knowing gleam in her eyes._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"I-I don't know." He looked at her in confusion. "I just imagined her all alone fighting something far more powerful than she was prepared for and I felt like I had to do something."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____"You're a foolish tenderhearted moron, kiddo." She smiled at him slightly as though she undestood something deeper in his words. He frowned but she started for her own bedroom. "Try to sleep." She shut her door and he was alone._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____He really did try to sleep. But the exhaustion of the evening was nothing compared to his thoughts. Everything was his fault, or so he thought. What would Olivier do? Was there anything worse than imprisonment at the hands of the Spirit World Society? He doubted it._ _ _ _


	11. Roy's Sentence

Morning came and with it the dread of Olivier's arrival. As his aunt had expected Roy slept very little. He appeared from his room in a proper suit and black oxfords with shadows under his eyes and an irritated glare. It was obvious he decided to forego combing his hair and it stuck up at odd angles. He refused breakfast silently taking a cup of coffee to wake himself up. She watched him take the morning news to the sitting room much the way his father had used to. He really was a lot like her late brother. Maybe that's why she had found it easy to overlook his mixed blood. In all honesty it was easy to forget he was only half human. 

 

That's why she was so adamant on getting Olivier to leave him alone. So he'd accidentally injured Alex, normal children did worse to each other on a daily basis. Reports of children accidentally shooting and killing each other were common, why worry about a little misunderstanding from years ago? The Elrics had saved Alex's life anyways, and Roy really hadn't meant any harm. 

 

She continued to prepare some biscuits for Olivier's arrival doubting the woman would accept any, but she was sure the woman would complain if there were none.

 

Roy sipped black coffee and read the news halfheartedly. What did it matter? The world was something he only watched through the glass. Olivier would make sure he was cut off from what little bit of it he had. 

 

When his aunt reminded him to comb his hair he ignored her. His body was capable of healing itself when wounded, but things like not sleeping had similar effects as regular children. He didn't care if he was cranky this morning, normally he was overanxious about his outward appearance, but why bother when it was just Olivier? If he was too dressed up she'd make a comment about hiding monsters in gentleman's clothes.

 

At some point Madam's incessant nagging about his hair wore him down and he slammed the door to the water closet in defiance. When he stepped out later he was neatly put together. His aunt tried to ask how he'd slept but he remained stoic. 

 

"You have to talk sometime Roy." She chided. He shrugged effecting carelessness. 

 

"Olivier won't have that." She shook her head. There's no doubt he's my brother's son. He even broods like the man. 

 

Roy brooded all morning until the bell rang. He ignored the bell and let his aunt answer the door. Olivier dressed in a grey skirt suit entered the small apartment. 

 

"Hello Lady Armstrong," Madam greeted forcing pleasantries.

 

"Madam," The blond woman replied and stepped into the sitting room. She looked at the teen sitting silently. He watched her calmly keeping his detest for her hidden. "Roy," She said tersely. 

 

"Please have a seat." Madam vanished to get the tea and biscuits. She returned with three cups but Roy shook his head. Olivier sat in a chair lightly.

 

"You don't like tea?" Olivier asked him rather conversationally. 

 

"I prefer coffee." He replied in a soft voice. "I think you and I would prefer to dispense with this social conduct and get to business." His voice was even and calm. There was no sense in beating around bushes when his future was the topic of today's visit.

 

Olivier smirked. "You certainly are impatient to hear your fate." She remarked.

 

"I still don't believe you have any right to decide my fate." Roy returned a little hotly. He leaned forward and took up a biscuit. Olivier's eyes narrowed as though she had been considering one   
but now that he had touched the plate she would make no move for them. Roy caught the look and leaned back a little holding back a smirk. 

 

Madam gave him a stern glare. It wasn't hard to recognize the boy's games, he'd use the prejudice of others against them whenever he got the chance. 

 

"First the whole story. Everyone else seems to think you were rather heroic yesterday." The woman demanded. 

 

Roy explained in more detail the events that had brought him to his moment of weakness.

 

"That's how you converted Hawkeye. She seems to consider you a hero now. Some good it did having her here." Olivier sighed heavily. Then she thought for a moment waiting to announce her decision. Roy forced himself not to twitch impatiently. 

 

"I must admit I would prefer to have you locked up, but my siblings seem to think that's a bit drastic." She began.

 

Roy quirked an eyebrow. Had Catherine and Alex talked her down for his sake? But why? 

 

"Catherine said you have some project to finish and Alex thought you deserved another chance since you didn't actually hurt anyone. I hate to agree with him in a case like this, but I haven't the time to deal with Society paperwork. The only thing on your side is the fact that I hate the Society's beaureucratic shit more than you." She gave him a steep look. "This isn't me letting you get away with it though, one more slip like that and I will have you shipped off to the Containment Center in Russia."

 

Roy nodded. "Understood, and thank you." 

 

"Thank my moron of a brother for pleading on your behalf." She sipped at the tea a moment. 

 

Madam seemed to relax as she sipped her own tea. 

 

"Expect no changes in our current agreement." Olivier said rising. "And next time someone give you an order you obey it."

 

 

Riza sat at lunch feeling lonely. Somehow spending the meal without pestering Roy with uncomfortable questions felt lacking. Eating in silence was something she had grown accustomed to when her father passed, but here she'd begun to enjoy his voice. It was deep and resonant and often times her questions incited emotional responses. 

 

He seemed to have a lot of problems for someone so young, but then so did she. He just happened to have a more negative reaction than she did. 

 

Judging by what he had told her she was lucky to have known the love of her parents even if her mother's blood was so openly hated. It had transferred to her when she manifested her powers. The fear she'd recieved from her peers had been similar to the reaction she'd witnessed the previous night. 

 

Honestly the more she'd probed the more she could relate to his feelings. Now she wondered if he would return.

 

As she sipped her juice she heard footsteps approach. Catherine sat down across from her. "I just wanted to relay a message from my sister. She wants you to stay, but instead of killing him you are going to keep an eye on him. Since he's obviously willing to do stupid stunts for you she wants to retain you as another surveilance agent. The only time you'll report is if something seems off. Also Olivier thinks he'll listen to you." The stunning teen rose again without another word. 

 

Riza took a deep breath and almost smiled. She was safe to stay in London and Roy would return at some point. How long would he shirk school? One day, a week, a month? How long would she want to hide if she were in his shoes? 

 

Another visitor graced her empty table. This time it was the German boy Edward. "Greetings." He said pleasantly. 

 

"What was your purpose last night?" Riza asked curious. She wanted to know who this strange foreigner and his brother were. 

 

"My brother and I are specialists. We appraise youmu and heal those who suffer grevious injuries from the beasts. My brother is the better at healing, he saved Alex when Mustang got the better of him." 

 

"So what happened between Roy and Alex?" She pressed. It was doubtful that Roy would want to discuss the topic. 

 

"First off understand that both those morons are very passionate people in battle. Alex thought he had a possession issue with Roy, only after the excorcism didn't work did he learn his mistake. He paid dearly too. Mustang tried to run, but Alex was on him with that crap about his family's barriers that are passed down for generations and then he tried to kill Roy outright.   
Figured if he wasn't possessed he must be an actual youmu. That backfired. Roy lost his head like last night and he almost slit Alex's throat. He claims he wasn't aware of the accident until he regained his composure, but I think otherwise. Mustang's a manipulative bastard. Comes from running for his life for years. The coward." 

 

"Roy's not that bad, he's got it hard but I don't think he's a liar." Alphonse joined the table. 

 

Riza looked at the two brothers surprised by how different they behaved. As an only child she had no idea what it was like to have a sibling. 

 

"I think maybe we're all a little hard on him." Riza replied. Edward gave her a quizical look and then he made a teasing face. 

 

"Ack! I think she likes him." He said looking at Al. 

 

Riza's cheeks darkened. "No, I just meant we tend to treat him differently because of what he is." 

 

Alphonse frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe, but she could be right." 

 

"Nonsense, Mustang would be a detriment to society if people treated him kindly. That ego of his would really inflate then." 

 

"Ego?" Riza asked confused. She'd only seen him in a state of outrage or irritation. 

 

"You'll see it soon enough. Especially since the queen's given him another chance." Ed said looking at her intently. "If I were you I'd forget Mustang and actually look for a real man." The girl blushed again. 

 

The brothers rose as one laughing lightly. 

 

She sat there in confusion. Did she give the impression she liked Roy? Perhaps everyone was just used to making him the bad guy and they couldn't imagine someone showing him any kindness without assuming there was something more. 

 

She shook her head as the lunch period came to an end.


	12. Friends?

Despite Olivier's decision to let him go Roy begged off of school a second day. He hated the idea of facing the people who had been witness to that awful stunt of his. Madam felt it was   
allowable, really she would rather him be willing to return to school than chance her nephew going out around all those children without proper control of his emotions.

 

Roy was reading. It helped distract him. He was reading through a novel where space travel was the premise when his aunt knocked on the door. He was propped up on his pillows on the bed wearing a pair of pants and a collared shirt. Closing the book partially to look at the door he responded. 

 

"Yes?"

 

"Someone from school here to see you." Her voice replied in mild surprise. No one ever visited Roy. He had no friends. That was due to Catherine making sure the normal students stayed away from him. How she loved to tell lies sometimes.

 

"Who?" Roy was curious but also apprehensive. He had no idea who would want to come visit him besides his 'parole officers'. 

 

"Come and see." His aunt replied impatiently. 

 

Roy put the book down on the bed and jumped down. Sighing he slipped on some shoes and made sure his collar was straight. Opening the door he expected to see the Armstrong's or maybe Professor Curtis with his homework. 

 

The guest that was sitting in his aunt's chair was a surprise though. 

 

"Hawkeye?" He asked when he caught sight of the short blond hair peeking above the leather back. 

 

"I brought your homework." She gestured to a stack of papers on the coffee table. 

 

"Thanks." Roy took 'his' chair. Most guests who were involved in the Spirit World avoided his chair naturally. Something about it possessing a specific odor.

 

"How are you?" Riza asked politely. Madam appeared with tea and biscuits. Riza accepted a gleam in her eyes. 

 

"Fine." Roy replied. "Are we back to the questions and answers game?" 

 

She shook her head stirring her tea. "I think we both know that's a useless endeavor. Plus I've been given a new task."

 

"Oh, what does the queen want now?" Roy asked looking at her.

 

"She wants me to watch for signs of odd behavior," She replied not meeting his gaze. It was still a rude thing to be doing. 

 

"Another friendly pair of eyes." He groused leaning back. 

 

"The other night, you were going to say something before your aunt retrieved you. What was it?" Riza asked switching gears hastily. She liked the position no more than he did.  
He closed one eye in thought. "You paraphrased me about changing the way things are, and I..." it took him a minute to remember what his intended response was. "I was going to ask you if you'd come to believe those words or were just throwing them back in my face."

 

"I think perhaps I understand your meaning now that I've had time to think about those words. I guess what I want to say is that I'd like to see someone step outside the metaphorical box. 

Maybe if people had done that in Cambridge my mother would still be alive." She answered sadly. 

 

"Or my father." Roy agreed. "The past is unchangeable, unless one of us just happens to have a TARDIS lying around." 

 

Riza giggled at the reference. "You a fan of the Doctor?" She asked.

 

"Tenth." Roy smiled. 

 

"I like the Ninth, Eccleston made a good Doctor." She nibbled at a biscuit. 

 

Roy sipped his tea. "I think it's my turn to ask questions." He decided. Riza blushed but nodded slightly. "Why are you the last of your bloodline?" 

 

Riza should have known he'd pick a tough one, she'd asked enough of them herself and was pretty sure this was his way of exacting revenge. "The cursed blood is a dangerous clan of old. 

My family was slaughtered over the years out of fear and misunderstanding. The term cursed blood was not a wise choice. My blood isn't cursed, it's just the source of my powers as a Warrior. But people still killed our line up until my mother's generation. I don't know who killed her, but it was done simply, like it was a task being carried out. Her body was unmarked except for a bulletwound through the head." 

 

"I'm sorry." Roy replied. "So how did you escape such horror?" 

 

"My father. He kept me safe until I manifested as a cursed blood. He used to beg me to have his powers. He fought with energy. I revealed the mark on my wrist terrified. He kept it a secret 

until he died. Then when they investigated his death I was found out and the day I was going to flee Cambridge Olivier called."

 

"You were so desperate for sanctuary you agreed without hesitation." Roy concluded. She nodded. 

 

"I'm sorry about that. You were right, I was wrong for treating you how I did, forgive me." She looked at her tea. 

 

"Forget about it." Roy waved a hand dismissively. "Let's put that nasty enemy business behind us. But honestly what changed your mind?" He had to know.

 

"I didn't understand why you were so nice to me. The time you checked up on me or when you came to save my life. But you already told me why. You were treating me the way you wish others would treat you." She turned two hopeful eyes on him. "And I realized that's what I wanted too." 

 

Roy nodded in understanding. "Madam told me that." He admitted. "She claims it's better than hating them." 

 

"But you do don't you?" She asked.

 

He took his turn not meeting her eyes. "It's hard to explain. You obviously know how youmu come into existence. Born of the negative emotions of the human race. For me, those emotions are the dominant ones. I feel anger and hatred more easily than I do joy or comaraderie. It's like they've always been there and the older I get the more powerful they become." 

 

Riza nodded. 

 

Silence fell and they sipped tea politely. Madam stepped in to check on them. She seemed to be smirking slightly. What did she know that they didn't? Why was everyone making these kind of 

 

faces around them? "Thank you Miss Hawkeye for bringing Roy's homework. Would you like to stay for dinner?" She asked.

 

Roy snapped a biscuit in his hand in shock. He certainly hadn't been expecting her to suggest that. Riza looked at the woman, "You would have me at your table?" She asked in surprise. 

 

"Call me foolish, but I tend to have a soft spot for strays." The woman replied pointing a thumb at her nephew. 

 

Roy rolled his eyes. Riza giggled. 

 

Madam Christmas served a simple meat and potatoes dish. She sat the two teens across from each other so they were facing each other and watched them from the head of the table.   
"So Miss Hawkeye tell me a bit about yourself, and no Warrior business. What do you like to do?" Madam asked once they were all situated.

 

Riza worried her lip in thought. "I used to help at a veterinary clinic back in Cambridge, and I like to read novels. I like fantasy stories." 

 

"You like animals?" 

 

"Dogs mostly." Riza affirmed. "Do you like animals?" She turned to Roy. He paled considerably while shoving potatoes in his mouth. He swallowed quickly.

 

"They don't like me." He answered quietly.

 

"Not everyone's an animal person." Riza shrugged.

 

"So you live here all alone?" Madam asked Riza. 

 

"Yes ma'am," Riza began. Roy sniggered.

 

"Cut the ma'am girl, you can call me Madam Christmas or Madam for short." His aunt replied.

 

Riza nodded. "Yes Madam." 

 

"That's better." The woman nodded. "You seem well acquainted with Roy, how long you been here in London?" 

 

"Three weeks now." She took a bite of meat. 

 

"I bet you don't know he's terrified of rain?" Madam asked. She was enjoying the part where she got to embarass the boy for the hell of it.

 

Roy almost dropped his fork. "Madam!" He exclaimed. "I am not terrified of rain, I just don't like getting wet." 

 

Riza giggled. "He never mentioned that as a fear." 

 

"That's cause he's embarrassed to admit it. Just watch him cower under an umbrella next time it rains," She said. 

 

"I do not cower!" Roy defended. "I just don't like to get my clothes wet." 

 

The two women shared a laugh at his expense. 

 

"Very funny," He retorted. 

 

"Oh lighten up Roy, it's all in good fun." His aunt smiled at him.

 

The rest of dinner went about the same. Idle chit chat that meant nothing filled the spaces between mouthfulls. When Riza left she thanked Madam Christmas and shook Roy's hand in farewell.

 

"You should come to school tomorrow." She said as she headed out the door. 

 

"I'll see you at lunch?" Roy asked. 

 

Riza nodded before hurrying down the walk. "Roy," His aunt looked at him. "A gentleman always walks a lady home." 

 

He looked at her and she threw his jacket at him. "I didn't raise you to be lazy. Go walk her home." She ordered. Roy bobbed his head and rushed out into the evening air yelling for Hawkeye to wait. He thrust his arms through the sleeves tripping over the step after her. 

 

"Yes?" Riza asked in confusion, "Did I forget something?" 

 

"Walk you home?" Roy mumbled his cheeks warming. Riza glanced back at the house but the door was closed however, the curtain was pulled open and Madam was watching them. 

 

She nodded. Roy walked alongside her silently for a few minutes. She finally looked at him. "You're feeling better aren't you?" She asked. 

 

"How can you tell?" He asked. He was usually good at keeping his emotions under check.

 

"Aura, it's bright green." Riza informed. 

 

"Oh," he said quietly. 

 

"Did I make you uncomfortable?" She paused to look into his eyes. 

 

He shrugged, "Not really, I just hate that it's there. It's like a giant bullseye."

 

She nodded picking up the pace again. "You shouldn't be ashamed of it." She said. "My father used to tell me repeatedly not to be ashamed of my blood. He always told me I was special because of it." 

 

"Easy when you aren't a walking contradiction of nature." Roy replied. "My parents should have been trying to kill each other instead of well, you know." He blushed profusely. Why did he have to say that?

 

Riza giggled again. "Yes I do." 

 

"Am I that funny?" He asked. He certainly didn't think he was that funny. 

 

"More like you end up being funny when you're trying to be serious." She answered. 

 

"Ah."

 

"Roy," Riza began. He turned to look at her his eyes shining in the light of a street lamp. "You don't think Madam is up to something do you?" 

 

"Oh she's always up to something." He confirmed. "What do you mean in particular?" There were lots of possibilities when it came to her. 

 

"I get the feeling she put you up to walking me home." She was suddenly suspicious of something and she wanted to make sure she wasn't just paranoid.

 

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sort of." Her theory clicked then and he looked at her his cheeks burning with heat. Her own face had gone pink. 

 

"You don't really think," He exclaimed in mild horror. That doesn't even make sense. We're just friends? That's still awkward. Acquaintances. That's better.

 

"Oh but I do, she wasn't exactly subtle about it." Riza remarked. 

 

"Let's just pretend you didn't say that." Roy suggested. "It's too weird to think about." 

 

"Agreed." 

 

They came to Riza's unit. "Tomorrow." Roy said not venturing to her steps.

 

"Tomorrow." She said with a smile. 

 

He watched her from the walk as she unlocked her door and slipped into the quiet flat. When the door closed behind her he turned aroud and hurried home. Somehow he felt more at ease than he had in a long time. Riza was comfortable to talk to in a way, she wasn't so different from him, she just hadn't wanted to see that originally. Well he'd used his aunt's advice to his advantage.


End file.
